Bibb County Sheriff’s Deputies received a call of a possible kidnapping in the parking lot of the Magnuson Hotel, located at 2730 Riverside Drive at around 10:15a.m. this morning. While responding to the call, deputies also received information of shots fired.
It was reported that a white male in a white Chevrolet Pickup was trying to get a female into his truck. A lookout was placed on the vehicle and a Bibb County Sheriff’s Deputy spotted the vehicle traveling east in the 2100 block of Riverside Drive. The vehicle was stopped and the driver of the pickup truck was detained. He was the only person in the vehicle when deputies stopped him. He was identified as 72 year old Thurbert Brantley of Gray.
When deputies arrived at the hotel a white male identified as 36 year old Travis Bishop, of Virginia, reported to deputies that a female that was talking with the driver of the pickup, had taken some money from Bishop. He told deputies that he was trying to keep the female from leaving and she was trying to get into the pickup truck with Brantley. Brantley told Bishop he would call 911 and Bishop told him no. Brantley became scared and drove off after he said Bishop threatened him. As the pickup truck pulled away, Bishop fired a shot at the truck, striking the passenger side rear tire.
Bishop was detained at the hotel. He and Brantley both agreed to talk with Bibb County Sheriff’s Investigators. After talking with investigators, Brantley was released. There was no kidnapping and he did not have anything to do with the incident of the money between Bishop and the female. Bishop did fire his weapon at the truck and he was charged with discharging a firearm on or near a public highway or street. He was transported to the Bibb County Law Enforcement Center and booked on the charge and has a bond set at $650.00.
The incident is still being investigated. Anyone with information on the incident is urged to contact the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office at 478-751-7500.